Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-23
A VOUDOO DOCTOR.
HIS QUEER OFFICE IN A THOMP-
SON STREET RookERY.

He Sells His Negro Dupes Love Potions
and Curealls-singular Imp, sssions Gre
ated by the Chances of the Doctors
''Bad Eye"
l got an intelligent young colored man
who has had most of the superstitious fancies
knocked out of him to go with friend who |
was known to the doctor and tell ME what
he saw there This was his story. After |
the two men had knocked at the garret door
long time the old doctor opened it about an |
inch and stood there staring at them with
one eye distrustfully. 1t was a big bright
eye that seemed in the darkness of the land
ing to glare like the headlight of locomo-
tive The young negro confessed afterward
that it made him goose flesh" all over. His
companion, who had not his advantages Of
early education and firmly believed in the
old mans power, was shaking from head to
foot with terror. The old man finally flung
the door open and invited them in. He
was dressed in a long black robe that
| had mysterious red crosses sewed on
| it. His hair was very white. There
was some reason for the singular
| impression his eye had made on his visitors
| while they were outside the door, because by
strange deformity the fiery eye lay almost
| on the cheek His hands were skinny, his
frame was bent, and his face cadaverous.
Bob, my young colored FRIEND says that the
| den into which he led them was enough to
strike terror into the stoutest man in the
| Fourth ward 1t contained two alligators
and several snakes all stuffed, but apparently
crawling about on the floor. In tank were
lot of lizards A big black cat walked un-
easily about A hideous carved figure that
looked something like wooden realization
of the devil stood in one corner. The place
was very dark and dirty. Across one end
: was curtain with round hole in it.
] through which, it was evident, the doctor
, was accustomed to glare at his patients with
!, that awful eye Strings of herbs and round
black balls swung from the ceiling,
: The doctor shut the door after them anG
locked it and then, stepping around behinc
= his curtain, put his eye to the hole and asket
them, in voice that was evidently meant t.
f! be terrifying, what they wanted. Bob's com
c panion finally managed to blurt out that b
:. wanted to be cured of the rheumatism, an
Bob wanted love powder. The doctor too
:. his eye away from the hole and began to sti
about behind the curtain, apparently dancin
and droning a weird tune. Bob's companio
{ said: "Oh, Lord" and wanted to cut and ruI
{ Bob had an idea that he could distinguis
D. some signs of "Old Hundred" about the tun,
H. and when he caught sight Of the old man
of face it looked more cunning than devilisl
and SO he decided to stay. The doctor can
out from behind the curtain aftar Will
- in one hand holding cup Of blac
\ powder and in the other rup of white poy
der. He put them down in the middle of Il
floor and kneeling beside them began to pa
his hand over them rapidly, jabbering all Il
time He stirred something into the blat
powder every now and then and took
= | stealthy glance at his visitors out of
lurid eye to see what effect the performan
he was having on them. Finally, he arose a
n taking some Of the powder scattered IL ov
'' the rheumatic patient TO his unspeakabla t.
ror. Then he took the rest and putting
into clam shell marked with fantastic {
10 vices gave it to his visitor.
' AT midnight in the dark OF the moon, y
must hold the black cat with one hand, a
ent swallow from this clamsheu three times q
'er- be WELL
,er Bob said he said this like man speak,
sI00 in we'll The Old man took the white Pc
D.. der and put it into another clarnshel q
eet' gave it to Bob Let the maiden you Il
III taste of this and she will be yours" )" sand
old man, land now give me your silver {
depart in peace"
II 1t took 81 head to pass them out, I
" Bob said his companion was ready to fs
when he turned around on the stairs
\ saw the bulging eye looking at them ste
IN fastly through the crack in the door. W
N they got outside Bob tasted his love pow
AMI and found it as good powdered sugar as e
. grocer sold Nothing could induce
rheumatic patient to taste the compo
in his clam shell, or even to look
it, But he told Bob how it was p
T. ably made He said that the old I
goes over to Jersey every Fri
- and hunts around among the farmers of
"a Hackensack until he finds two black chicl
- marked nearly alike He takes these h
N and cuts them up for medicine The he
he sticks full of black pins, and hangs u
dry. The hvers are baked until they
.aiS .aiS hard, and then powdered. When the he
noint are perfectly dry the old man sells them
nscb charms to hang about the neck He get
:, the apiece for them The chicken liver il
U"n principal medicine When he has endc
nd is it with miraculous powers by his arts,
mail, capable of healing any disease, SO the neg
believe The old man was careful TO get
the right kind of chickens, or the ct
would be lost. They must be jet black,
INV of just such age and form, or the ''vou
lMH was of no use-'C. L. r." in New
s.) Commercial Advertiser.